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They weren't going to find any Starseeds down here, but to be fair? Waru had no intention of looking for Starseeds tonight. Not with the sort of enthusiasm he should've had, that he maybe had *sometimes* when these sorts of tasks were oh so very necessary as to have been fun!! But that was not this, and so he wasn't. Nor was he combing the streets and mowing down enemies to fill Lilith's so empty it burned to even look at 'betrayers cup'.

Though he could've -- they could've -- he thought of all the ways he could've gathered up Ren and *convinced* him, lovingly, here and now, and at ******** speed to throw every single ******** to the wind and go on a whole a** spree! Till the void in his chest ached less and the cup ran over full and fuller and fullest. Till the souls of their enemies flowed down the halls like a river of stars, flooding into the Rift. And the grand barred doors holding every single bit of starving, wretched, gloriously dark and ancient creature at bay burst open at their seams.

It would've been a marvel worth mourning over. A once in a life time show. Had it been for any other cause? He might've done more than just imagine how things could be if one day his husband turned left and he turned right and the meeting point was some very macabre middle.

He wouldn't've loved their husband any less, sure as ******** didn't think any less of him now, but? There was maybe a discussion to be had between himself and Ren -- Taenite -- about old moles, about new responsibilities --

A discussion to maybe have with Faustite, too? For all that his sun-fired star of a lover was still healing up slow n steady -- still healing, ******** period -- there was still work to do. There would always be work to do, and every time he thought of Ren like this?

Second stage, but never second best--

He thought maybe the man deserved a chance to earn those bat out of hell a**-wings. That Faustite was the only logical choice of anyone when it came to something as delicately intimate as this.

"Huhn...Maybe I could get our Firebrand to stick his hand in my chest for the ******** fun of it? Wonder if I'd get more power out of the damn mix...or...like..a soul burn? Note to self, ask Tae-Tae if 'soulburn' is a thing..." it was something he was absolutely doing, distracting himself by texting Taenite further on the way to his office, asking about the most random s**t in order to assuage the spark of worry the other mans initial ask had sparked in him -- because so many starseeds? And what would they be used for, and why, and how, and---

He could've teleported, but he walked. Could've kicked the doors down and made an asinine entrance, but uncharacteristically knocked instead. Announcing himself like a whole damn person with manners, instead of a half mad beast on the move. He thought Aqua would've been proud! Him. Knocking. He absolutely deserved a reward for that alone!

Nobody…

Somebody?

A mass of somebodies, but technically? It was nobody he cared about nearly enough to feel any type of way on. If their bonfire of a shared spouse wanted to fill an entire world's worth of champions mugs with glittering starseeds of their enemies?

*To fill even the one—-*

Then so fuxking be it.

He wasn’t going to blink twice about it. Let alone open his mouth to question the act. He so very rarely questioned anything at all—Save now, maybe this one time he had a question about some new and nebulous stirrings. All sorts of confusing as ******** n uncrossable middle grounds that he was having a difficult time of sorting properly. The kiss was distracting as it was sweet, off-balancing his thoughts as easily as his equilibrium, and he bent to Ren as he always did, allowing himself to be pulled ever inwards and closer to the blazing fires that made up all of his most beloved interests.

The sharp brown eyes that pinned him to where he was left stood, bereft of more kisses, watching Taenite retreat with longing. Made him remember that he had such a ******** type—craved intelligence that ran parallel to the suns levels of intensity. The kind that had real heat behind it. So much so that it burned—-
In a good way! In the best ever ways! In ways that made him reach for a far more teasing smile than he felt like causing, that made him want to play in ways that felt more natural because *nothing* should ever be so serious as this!

“Whaaaat! A guy can’t try out politeness even the one time? M’practicing for when I go to bug the hell outta Aqua—-Valenpals day is just around the corner Tae-Tae,” playing it up, feigning ignorance in the face of Taenites patient stare. Though he’d regrettably missed out on the Thanksgiving festivities that made him long to rekindle lost threads, to re-tie stronger knots in old, loosening connections. He liked his bonds done the one way; weighted best levels of tight and so loved being a part of the larger world that, ******** honestly? There were things he was beginning to miss!

Like the flickering warmth of a room kept so perfectly serviceable and welcoming that Waru sometimes wondered if Taenite had people to manage it for him in the interim moments when he had to be gone. Like the man who owned said room: more a centerpiece than any bit of well tended flame, sheik rug, or ‘who gives a ******** about the price’ - desk ever could’ve been.

“Annnnhhhdddd—you just gonna keep looking at me like you’re waiting for the other anvil t’drop, huh?” As all his charm became chagrin, as the silence settled and left him with nothing to do but get it all out. How he abhored a soundless vacuum existing in a room— even if only for a moment. Long enough for him to sigh and cave—

“I promise…s’not too heavy an anvil for any of us to bear together…”
As a team — as a couple — never alone because Albite never intended to be alone. Not then. Not now espescially.

“Our favorite Firebrands got a whole hell of a champions cup game on the line…” and Waru went on easily as if Taenite had heard already, and how could he have not? Ears to the pulse of the place as he seemed to be. “Heh, just in time for game season it feels like? Tho—- m’sure Ei’s got his reasons other n just bein pissed about lil’s absence n liking t’see the body counts rise at the city morgue…” he couldn’t help the small smile that stole his features even as he said it, the way he grinned softly, imagining Faustite liking the morgue for other reasons entirely. It was cold down there, a sensation he knew his husband loved in the one form and bundled against in another.

“Think maybe—-he’s got a lotta things going on — moving parts n pieces of things even I’m missing the memo on —“ mass promotions and quietude and the fact that his love seemed so keen on healing up for the sake of going somewhere he couldn’t follow…

Not this time.

“I think….You n me never did get a proper honeymoon, did we?”

“Might be?”

Taenites guess was as good as his, shy on actual details as he was, a perpetual mutt in the doghouse. A place he more often earned than was directly sent to—

Save when he was—

All the ways *this*— this moment, this instant, right here and now. Had absolutely nothing to do with any of that. This wasn’t a banishment, not a front door slammed in the face of his perpetual optimism.

It was just—-

It was just the state of things; facts, actions, the bleary light of reality shining horridly through a morning window, removed of all its rose-colored tinting and Vaseline smeared charms.

“Truth is, Tae-tae—“ and he couldn’t hold in the shaky sigh that threatened to bring down his entire straw house of feels. Tasted the tension, the stillness, the unspoken asks that flicked off well timed clicks of Taenites tongue. “Whatever he’s preparing this time….I don’t think we’re a part of it….”

He didn’t think *he* was a part of it, and oh, somewhere deep, deep, down? That feeling stung; burning barbs raked over his still beating heart, poison in his veins—-

“But that was the point of all this, wasn’t it? Rings n vows n whatever else—“

It hurt his very soul. Both the shiny Senshi parts and the bits he deemed still very brazenly human and endlessly flawed. And he knew later he’d gnash his teeth and cry about it. Would weep like a severed limb absent its greater half—crawling about and minus an entire body. All the shittier parts of being sentient, self aware, greater minded than whatever wet bits of sediment clumped together and formed solid granite slabs.

“We can’t help that we’re married to a King, that he’s got tasks that go above n beyond us—s**t in his head that he ain’t gonna disclose even if it’s ******** painful, right? S’fine. It is.” He wanted to believe the lie, knew if he said it with enough force and determination that he would, eventually, fall for his own confidently uttered bullshit.

It wasn’t fine, nothing was fine. But there was nothing anyone could do about it. Not this time. No one was dying — no one was lost to the Rift as a puddle of sludge and crystal.

“N’just cause we can’t follow where he’s going this time? It doesn’t mean we’ll be alone. Not that I’m any kinda proper substitute! But, ******** me, I do make a great body pillow! Can’t replace that fancy fire-factor—but that’s where you’d come in, right? ” and he was clawing for optimism like zombies from an earthen grave. With desperate bravado, with a plea in his eyes.

Because he couldn’t stand to be alone, not in this life, not now that he’d gotten a taste of what it was like to be so very other; to be so utterly surrounded by an infinite sea of heart shaped islands in a sea of love—

He stood still as a beast caught out in the wild. So utterly frozen, yet still malleable to Taenites touch. A stiff body to be puppeted in the midst of bleary, owl eyed surprise. Of soft shock for just how gentle Taenite was being with him in the moment. For the way the other man stole his words and shushed them into silence with something as simple as a ********, but he'd forgotten how much he liked Taenites hugs---

How much he needed them. Maybe a lot more often than what he'd dared to ask for? Desiring more than anything else this sort of stillness between them, this easy, wordless offer. The man's presence and that alone. It was enough, more than, to hear it all followed by an offer so sweet it made him gasp, and left him blinking unseeing at the office around him, burying his eyes into Taenites shoulder more purposefully.

To hide his expression there, against all the blacks n silvers of his uniform, to sniffle for the kiss. He felt so ******** childish over it all sometimes. How silly he'd been to wait for this.....

To banter around it instead of taking it to Taenite directly.

How badly he'd missed having Ren with how busy everyone had gotten.

How he was already missing Faustite.

He missed him, missed him, missed him badly, fiercely, wildly! With all sorts of abandon. Because he truly didn't know if it'd be years. If it'd be months. If he'd have to wait till the next life time!? He couldn't help his thoughts and how they ran wildly, or stem the tide of endless feelings that ran with them, or stop the flow of tears that had sat unshed for what felt like years behind some slowly cracking dam he'd kept piling filler on till it failed.

They didn't all have to be sad though! Could become happier things if he only let them. His thoughts, the little bit of wetness that escaped as he slowly wrapped his arms around Taenite and squeezed; soft, soft, softly. Gentle with the handling of his husband this one time. Knew Taenite was sturdy as ********, could take anything, take it all--- And if he thought anymore about that he'd start openly weeping. He didn't want that! To ruin the moment when Taenite was offering days, time, places. Things he needed badly while having been so hesitant to say it at all.

"Yes?" croaked, laughed over, he ran his lips over the man's shoulder, pressed them into a thin line of thoughtfulness before daring to open his mouth again. Swallowing the lump that threatened to choke him up once more -- "Beach, you get three days, and if you think I'd share this with anyone?" his words soaked in possessiveness, the way he coveted these moments, these notes of flavor that were all his own. The way he'd much rather kill someone right now than share the fact that Taenite could be anything other than a flamewrought battelaxe that burned too sharply to touch.

No -- and no -- and no -- this was all for him! His to covet. His and his ********! He was tired of sharing. Wanted something to be all his to keep secret, just this once, just for a few more days.

"I wouldn't. But even if I did? No one'd ******** believe me, Taenite. I promise you that. Yr'walls are too high for most to see over," diffuse with humor, with a deeper humm that rumbled on as he settled into staying where he stood, at least for a little while longer. "And I'm the least patient ******** on the face of the Earth...but for you? For you I can wait....n'for him...N'I might only give you a heart attack a few more times?" Because it would've been funny, because if this was what he got for doing it? Maybe a few more times would be worth the look on Taenites face, at least until the novelty of it all wore off.

"Not anytime soon though--swear it on my heart." the words huffed absently as he basked in Taenites a little longer.

"Never--" whisper soft husk.

Ohoho--Taenite was so getting kisses for that! Pressed over thin fabric, into the crux of where his shoulder met his neck, over the collar, higher up beneath an ear. Feather light and purposeful -- worshipful -- in his own soft way. The way he took the words like parched earth, took the actions that reached beyond them and soaked them in. Shivering beneath each touch, those strong hands comforting him physically.

"It's all I have--" a lie, but he was running with it, playing with it. The idea that all he had was muscles, cuteness, tattoos. A lie. Because what he truly had? The thing that made him up from his core out -- that was all people shaped. Team shaped. Friendshaped! Human lives and his husbands. All the things he could touch like a katamari ball and build himself a foundation upon. All the ways he loved, needed, desired just this moment here, now, and how anything more could've been too much. Would've made him crave it all the damn time! Taenites searing words and the solid press of hands behind them---

"It's my everything--" But maybe that was fine too? To crave the other man like this. To demand his time far more often. "For you, and this? S'what I've got to give. Just like you're all I want. What I need most..." and now that Ren had said it, had offered in all that quietude a place for him to escape the world to. To dodge the team house, his responsibilities, his dragging feelings of the moment. He could take advantage of that too, right?

He could just --

He could go home with him.

"T'come home with you, right now, yeah? Please?" and nothing else really mattered, and everything else fell away while he chanced pulling back enough to really look at Ren and gauge how serious he was. Because as far as Waru was concerned? His day was done, his tasks were finished, he'd saved the hardest for last. "I don't wanna wait. M'free--m'finished---M'ready to go home."

His home in Taenites heart, in Taenites house; the smells, sounds, sheets he craved to bundle himself up away from the world in, if only for a night where he was all the man's own.

That was where he belonged.

Ren was who he needed.